Section 1
As Principal Investigator, you are considered the expert of your project and must know the policies of the University, as well as learn the regulations of the funding source. Knowing this information is essential to the success of your grant. Fortunately, you are not alone in this process. The administration of a grant award requires a collaborative effort to implement activities and effectively manage the project. This collaborative approach ensures that we have successful outcomes and achieve goals for the students at UVU. The Director of Post-Award Services is here to assist you through each phase of the grant. Utilize this Grants Management Handbook as a written resource on grants-related issues, however, contact the Director of Post-Award Services with questions. ([email protected])
Communicating with the sponsoring agency. At times, it will be necessary to contact the funding source regarding questions about your grant. Contact the Director of Post-Award Services before contacting the funding agency, as we may already have the answer for you. When needed, the Director of Post-Award Services can help you respond to inquiries. All correspondence with the sponsoring agency must be documented and copied to the OSP for filing.
Follow the rules. Your grant has specific rules and guidelines that must be followed. Your grant activities must follow all applicable laws, regulations, contracts, policies, and procedures. The presence of grant funds does not preclude you or your staff from following University regulations. There are times when a sponsor’s rules are more flexible than the University’s. Remember that the most restrictive rule applies.
Once written notification of the grant award is received, the OSP staff will begin to work with you on the management of your grant. In general, the Director of Post-Award Services and the Grants Accounting Office will be your primary contacts throughout your grant. The Director of Post-Award Services will work with you to schedule a New Award Orientation meeting. This meeting provides all pertinent information that will help you successfully implement your grant. The goal of the meeting is to develop a detailed plan for implementing objectives, reporting requirements, and evaluation.
The Grants Accounting Office will assign an internal account number and review your budget with you in detail. There will be periodic contacts scheduled with you during the grant cycle. These contacts provide you with ongoing support and an opportunity to ask questions. They also serve to review project objectives, budget expenses, and reports.
Upon receipt of funds, the Grants Accounting Office will send an email notification to the Principal Investigator that includes a G index number and other pertinent information as applicable. The Principal Investigator is responsible to ensure against either overspending. You, or your department is responsible for overages. The PI will work with the OSP Post-Award Financial accountant to expend funds. It is the PI’s responsibility to keep a ledger and be aware of available funds. The PI will receive weekly Argos reports with financial information to assist in this process. Your grant budget is administered through the University’s Banner system. Within Banner, the budget is entered into the assigned account codes.
The proposal budget serves as your spending plan and includes funds to cover project costs and personnel expenses. UVU utilizes several approved procedures and forms to initiate grant purchases. All grant expenditures and purchases are subject to the same University policies and procedures.
Please contact the Post-Award Financial Services Accountant for specific information and guidance with your grant purchases. The PI is responsible to ensure that all expenditures are allocable to the sponsored project, reasonable, and consistently treated according to UVU policies and procedures.
Purchasing cards are the preferred method of procurement for small-dollar purchases. They have the following standard monetary limits $2,500 single transaction limit and $5,000 billing cycle limit. Purchases over the single transaction limit should be submitted on a requisition via Wolverine Marketplace.
All transactions must comply with federal and state laws, University policies and procedures, and the guidelines contained in the p-card manual. Because of this, some types of purchases are restricted or limited with P-Cards. All p-card purchases using Sponsored Program funds should be approved in advance by the Post-Award Accountant ([email protected]).
When using grant funds to make purchases with a P-Card, keep a copy of all supporting documentation for expenditures, including any supplemental paperwork, and upload the documentation to the Concur System. Specific information regarding P-Cards can be found by contacting the Procurement Office.
